Many computers use a hand operated pointer device such as a mouse, trackball or joystick to manipulate graphics, menus, windows and the like in combination with a keyboard. Since the user employs both the device and the keyboard, it is necessary to move a hand back and forth between keyboard and device, a time consuming and awkward operation.
If such devices could be operated using a foot rather than the hand of the operator, this operation could be eliminated. However, the inventors found that no known device could be successfully operated by foot. The mouse, conventionally supported on a pad, initially functioned well until the mouse ran off the pad, with no way for the operator to pick it up without using his hand. The pad and mouse became dirty and unusable quickly unless frequent cleaning steps were employed. The trackball became clogged with dirt and inoperative almost immediately during use. The joystick was not adaptable for foot operation.
The present invention is directed toward a new type of device, a dimensional continuous motion controller, which can be easily operated either by hand or by foot, and, when operated by foot, eliminates the awkward and time consuming hand operation described above.